Number of persons receiving Finnish citizenship grew slightly
in 2010

According to Statistics Finland, in 2010
Finnish citizenship was granted to 4,350 foreign citizens
permanently resident in Finland. The number was 900 higher than in
2009. Of the persons having received Finnish citizenship, 2,600
were women and 1,750 men. Among the recipients of Finnish
citizenship, 1,000 were aged under 15 and 90 were older than
65.

Recipients of Finnish citizenship
1966–2010

Last year, Finnish citizenship was granted to 3,800 citizens of
countries outside the European Union, which was 800 more than in
2009. In all, 550 of those having received Finnish citizenship were
citizens of countries belonging to the European Union, which is 150
up on one year before.

Finnish citizenship was most often granted to citizens of Russia
(1,930). The number was 900 higher than in the year before. Russian
citizens were also the largest group having received Finnish
citizenship in the previous year. Estonian citizens were the second
largest group of recipients of Finnish citizenship (240). In the
year before, 170 Estonians received Finnish citizenship. Of the
citizens of Somalia resident in Finland, 130 received Finnish
citizenship in 2010, whereas the respective number in the previous
year was 290.